The Joys of Babysitting
by kygirlxx
Summary: Sharon is watching her newborn granddaughter all while trying to juggle her hectic life.
1. Chapter 1

Her body jumped up from the bed as she heard the noise coming from the monitor sitting on her nightstand. She took off her glasses, which she had slept with on, and rubbed her eyes. Holding up her arm, she glanced at the silver watch seeing it was just about to turn six in the morning and sighed. Sharon pulled the covers off of her body and slipped on her house shoes as she pulled her robe tightly around herself. She made her way out of the bedroom and down to the second guest room in her apartment, opening up the door and walking over to the crib. The older woman was babysitting her granddaughter while her daughter and son-in-law were out of town. Of course Sharon was more than happy to do so, but she had not had a baby around the house in a while. Slowly but surely she was getting back into the swing of things.

"Hey.. hey.." she said as she leaned over to pick up the baby. She brought her close to her chest, rubbing her back and swaying back and forth slightly.

"What's wrong little one?" she asked quietly as she walked out into the living room. She sat down on the couch in front of the Christmas tree her and Rusty had put up the day after Thanksgiving. The lights draped around the tree were the only things lighting the room. She loved Christmas time, everything about it. Living in Los Angeles meant giving up snow, but she made up for the loss with decorations scattered not only throughout her house, but her office at work too. Wrapping the small blanket around the baby, she looked down at her and smiled, she looked so much like her mother when she was younger.

"Aren't you sleepy?" she asked as her fingertips toyed with her small brunette curls, pressing a kiss to her forehead. Sharon sighed and yawned a little as she stood up, cuddling the baby close as she moved into the kitchen, turning on the dimmest light.

"Do you wake your momma up this early?" she asked smirking a little as she nuzzled her nose into the little girl's hair, taking in her scent. Reaching over, she grabbed her favorite mug and a teabag, placing it in the cup before pouring hot water over it from the coffee pot. Walking over to the fridge, she grabbed one of the bottles of pre-made formula and placed it in the microwave. The baby began to babble and Sharon arched her eyebrows, "I guess you are hungry, huh?" Hearing the ding on the microwave, she felt the baby flinch and begin to whimper softly. "Oh, it's okay.." she whispered as she bounced her a little and grabbed the warm bottle. Taking off the cap, she poured a little on her wrist, checking the temperature. After she sat down at the kitchen table, she held the bottle to the baby's mouth, watching her tiny hands wrap around it. Pulling it back every now and then to give the little girl a break. She took a small rag and wiped off the excess dripping down her cheeks before taking her first sip of hot tea. Once she was finished feeding the infant, Sharon stood to her feet and placed the rag over her shoulder and began to burp her.

"Addie.." she whispered as she moved her head back to catch the little girl's eyes. "Let's get you dressed!" She lifted the baby into the air slightly with a smile, feeling her tiny hand on her nose. She gasped and moved her mouth up to kiss the inside of her palm and made soft noises, trying to gain a giggle. Turning on the light in the bedroom, she went over to the bed and laid the baby down, surrounding her with pillows before looking through the diaper bag. Glancing at her watch quickly, she knew she had to wake Rusty up for school soon. After getting the infant out of her pajamas and into a pink ruffled dress, she slipped the baby's sandals on and placed her back into the crib.

"Nana will be right back.." she said, hearing the little girl begin to cry. "It's okay." Moving out of the bedroom, she walked down to Rusty's room and knocked on the door a few times before opening it slowly. "Rusty, get up." she said as she went over and opened up the blinds, this being the only way to get him up now a days. Patting his leg, she looked at the sleeping boy who was beginning to stir. "Come on, thirty minutes." she said before going back to her bedroom quickly, knowing it would take her that amount of time or longer to get ready herself. After getting the quickest shower possible, blow drying her hair out and changing into a pair of jeans, a dark purple sweater and a pair of boots, she grabbed her glasses and looked at her watch.

"Let's go!" she yelled lightly as she ran back into the second bedroom and back to the crib.

"Hi Princess.." she said, picking up the baby and walking back out to see Rusty waiting with his backpack on and arms crossed.

"Ready?" she asked, smiling as she grabbed her purse and car keys.

"For school? Dreading it actually."

"Oh, Rusty.." Sharon replied as they walked out of the apartment, shutting and locking the door behind them. "You should cherish the education you are getting, once you are out in the real world you will wish you were back at school." Rusty laughed and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I doubt that." he said as he got into the front seat of the car and closed the door. Sharon sighed and shook her head, giving the baby a silly face. She buckled her securely into her car seat, setting her teddy bear beside her and covering her with a blanket. Once she was inside the car, she pulled out of the parking garage and made her way across town, her eyes frequently checking the rearview mirror to get a peek of the baby in the back.

"Have a good day at school, I'll see you later." she said as she watched the teenage boy exit the vehicle and head inside the building. Sighing, she rested her head on the steering wheel and closed her eyes. It had been a long time since she had raised a kid, she was just getting used to being available for Rusty, but now she also had a baby that depended on her more than anyone at the moment. Yes, it was a stressful task, but she would not trade it for the world. Addison Grace was her first grandchild and she was going to be around as much as possible.


	2. Chapter 2

Pulling into her parking spot in the garage, Sharon turned off the car and stepped out, strapping her purse on her shoulder before walking around and picking up the little girl. Once inside of her apartment, she placed her things down and pressed a kiss to Addison's forehead. Sharon still could not get over how much the little girl looked like her mother, Claire. The same big eyes, smile, the way her hair curled. Feeling vibration coming from her pocket, she pulled out her cell phone and looked at the caller ID. "It's Momma!" she said, kissing Addison's cheek as she hit the answer button and lifted the phone to her ear.

"Hey darling," She spoke quietly as she bounced the baby up and down.

"Hey, how is everything? Is she being good?" Claire asked frantically.

"She's doing just fine, was a little fussy this morning but she's doing much better." Sharon said, smiling as she moved over to the couch and sat down, placing her feet on the coffee table and resting the baby against her thighs.

"Oh that's good, that's great. Do you have enough formula mix, diapers? Are you following her sleep schedule? Eating schedule? We should be back Monday around nine o'clock." Claire spoke quickly, trying to think of everything that the newborn needed.

"We are fine here, honestly. I raised you and your brother, and Rusty. I know how to care for a baby." Sharon said letting out a small laugh and shaking her head. "Monday sounds perfect, I know she will be happy to see you and her daddy."

"I know, I'm sorry- Just let me know if something happens. Look, I have to go to a meeting but I'll talk to you later."

"You will be the first person I call. Love you." she said hanging up the phone and placing it down on the couch before turning her attention back to the baby.

"What are we going to do for the rest of the day, Addie Grace?" she asked, bringing her close and pressing kisses to her cheek. The baby reached up and began to pull at the bow in her hair, making Sharon laugh. "You don't like it?" she asked, taking it off for her. Closing her eyes, she felt the glasses being pulled off of her by the little girl and moved her head to the side. "Don't break them.." she whispered as she watched the ends go directly into the child's mouth.

"I guess that works too." she said, standing up and rocking Addison as she walked over to the diaper bag and pulled out her pacifier. She could tell it caught the baby's attention and she laughed. "I'll trade you for it.." she said, placing it into the baby's mouth as she quickly took back her glasses and securely put them back into their case.

Glancing at the time, she bit her lip and pulled out her cell phone deciding to check in on work, knowing something interesting was always going on down at the Los Angeles Police Department. Tapping her foot, she listened to the phone ring a few times before she heard the familiar voice of Andy Flynn. "Lieutenant, thank you for answering. How are things up there?"

"Captain, nice to hear from you. Everything is fine, we are just catching up on some paper work. Provenza is questioning the suspect we learned about from yesterday but we still aren't getting anywhere."

"Well, we can keep him twenty four hours, make sure that he knows that." Sharon said, trying to think. "Just keep at him. Let me know if there are any breaks in the case, please and thank you." she said hanging up the phone and sliding it back into her pocket. Tickling the baby's stomach, she went into her bedroom and placed two pillows in the center and the baby in between them, taking a spot next to her. Taking out her pacifier, she pouted a little hearing whimpers and shook her head, leaning over and kissing her cheek.

"Shh, it's nap time. You'll be so cranky if you don't sleep." she said, smiling as she felt the tiny fingers latch onto her hair and tug a little.

"Addie.." she said sternly, but still playfully. She managed to free her hair and kissed the inside of her palm. Sighing, she reached over and took the blanket and wrapped the baby up in it. "Okay, baby girl." she whispered as she placed the big pillows behind her back and rested against them as she placed the baby on her chest still wrapped in the blanket and rubbed her back, humming nursery rhymes because she could not remember the lyrics. Sharon felt peaceful, the amount of love her heart contained for the precious child laying on her was indescribable and unexplainable. Not having to worry so much about work and just have a lazy day around the house was just what she needed, more than she knew. She was sixty years old, she didn't have half the energy she once did and quite frankly worked her butt off every single day. She knew she had to change something about her schedule if she wanted to continue to spend time with her family and let her body rest. Glancing down, she noticed the baby was almost asleep. She placed pillows on both sides of her body, maintaining her position and letting her head fall back a little, thinking a nap would do them both good.

She awoke about twenty minutes later, very thankful to find the baby still in the exact same spot against her chest. She watched Addison quietly, just studying all her features, falling even more in love with her. When she finally woke up, Sharon took her into the bathroom and bathed her. Wrapping the soft towel around her small body. She rubbed her hand up and down her back as the baby began to cry. "I know it, sugar. I know." She quickly put a diaper on the still screaming child and grabbed her clothes, slipping them on and cuddling the baby once more feeling the shakes begin to cease.

Sharon could not bare to hear the little girl cry, it broke her heart into a million pieces each time and she just wanted to do everything in her power to keep her happy. She could remember the first time she watched the little girl and the crying went on for a good thirty minutes, Sharon could not see anything physically wrong and was acting like her daughter almost- frantic. It brought tears to her own eyes, but finally after Addison had cried herself to sleep, she was fine. Hearing her phone ringing in the other room, she cradled the little girl close, kissing her cheeks over and over before glancing at the caller identification and sighing as she saw the name. "Lieutenant Provenza, how are you today?" She asked preparing for the worst.

"Look Captain, we are getting a surprise visit from the Mayor and I think you might want to get down here. Has to do with the witness we have in interrogation."

"Oh my heavens…" She spoke quietly as she nodded her head and rubbed her forehead. "I want someone waiting in the garage to brief me when I get there." She said hanging up the phone, and shoving her phone into the pocket of her jeans.

"I ask for one day.." She mumbled as she got the baby's shoes on and packed up her diaper bag and formula. Once back into the car with Addison strapped in her car seat, Sharon made her way to the one and only Los Angeles Police Department, only imagining what her squad managed to get into now.


	3. Chapter 3

Pulling up in her reserved parking spot, she placed her car in park and pulled her keys out of the ignition before throwing everything in her purse. After strapping both that and the diaper bag on her shoulder, she walked around to the back seat and carefully got out the car seat that was holding her grandchild. Tucking the handle into her arm, she walked over to the elevator, her heels clicking loudly against the concrete flooring. She glanced around as she waited for anyone who was supposed to be down there briefing her until she spotted a rookie taking a smoke break, rolling her eyes, she whistled and pointed. "Are you supposed to be giving me information?" The rookie jumped a little and threw down the cigarette as he quickly moved over to the woman, nodding his head. "Uh, yes, I'm sorry Captain."

"Don't be sorry, just tell me what you need to tell me!" She snapped in a frustrated tone.

"The witness is the Mayor's son. Apparently no one but the officers on this case know that and he is wanting to make it a need to know basis."

The brunette sighed as she watched the metal doors open. She stepped in and hit the button for the twelfth floor, leaning against the wall, looking down at her granddaughter who was somehow sleeping through everything. Finally making it to her floor, she briskly walked out and quickly stopped in her tracks, looking to her detectives who were currently all sitting at their desks, doing nothing for the most part. "I'm sorry, did we all take a personal day?!" She asked, throwing her hand up in the air and shaking her head. As she walked over to nearest desk, she placed the car seat down as her crew jumped up and gathered everything they needed. "When is the Mayor getting here?" She asked glancing at her wristwatch as she placed a swaddling blanket over the sleeping baby, tucking it in around her.

"Should be here in thirty minutes, Captain." Andy Flynn spoke up as he handed her a thick manila envelope holding all records on the witness. He paused, looking down to the baby and raised his eyebrows, very confused about the whole situation.

"Who in their right mind would leave their child with you?" Provenza chimed in as he walked over to Flynn's desk slowly. He began looking back and forth between the baby and his brunette boss.

Sharon stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes for a moment, smirking to herself before turning on her heel and looking over at the older man. "My daughter, actually." Sharon raised her eyebrows and placed a hand on her hip. "This is my granddaughter, Addison."

"She's adorable, Captain." Detective Amy Sykes spoke, leaning down as she reached the desk with the baby carrier atop of it.

"Thank you very much." She spoke as she continued to glare at Provenza.

"Well, the squad room is not a daycare." Provenza mumbled as he walked over to the evidence board and began to hang up new pieces of information and write down descriptions, "I guess she's alright."

Smirking, she adjusted her black rimmed glasses back to the top of her nose before opening the folder. "Logan Neal, age twenty two…" Sharon stopped her pacing back and forth, "He has been arrested six times? No wonder the Mayor doesn't want anyone knowing." She looked up at her squad, sighing. "Well at least this time he isn't the bad guy..." She spoke, placing the folder down and looking at the whiteboard where photographs of the evidence, suspects, and crime scenes were hung up.

"Logan says he knows exactly who committed the murder, but wants immunity and protection. Says he is next on the list." Amy chimed in as she still sat looking at the baby in awe.

"Why would he need immunity if he has not done anything wrong?" She spoke, reminding herself mentally to never leave her squad alone to handle something again. "Has anyone looked through his belongings that were confiscated?"

Provenza walked over to his desk and held up the box, "It's all in here."

Sharon walked over after placing rubber gloves on and took the lid off the box, placing it down before rummaging through the items. Finding his wallet, she peered carefully through it, taking note of all the things in the slots before opening one of the zippered sections and finding a wad of cash. "All hundreds." She spoke as she carefully unfolded it, watching a dime bag of cocaine fall to the floor. "Looks like Logan has not been giving up the full truth." She spoke before glancing to Flynn.

Andy sighed and rubbed his forehead, "Let's get in a quick chat in before Daddy shows up." He paused, looking at the infant once more before glancing back up to Sharon, "Are you joining me?"

Biting her lower lip, she clenched onto the closed manilla folder in her hand and looked back toward her granddaughter for a moment, not wanting the baby out of her sight. "I.." She began before returning her attention back to Andy. "One second." She said nodding her head before walking over to Sykes' desk. "Detective Sykes," She began to speak in a soft, quiet voice. "Would you mind keeping an eye on her for me? I need to go to the interrogation room and she can't be left alone."

"Of course, Captain!" Amy nodded her head quickly, smiling brightly.

"Thank you so much, if you could just take her in my office and shut the door, as well as drawing the blinds, that would be great. I am sure both the Mayor and Taylor would not be too happy that I brought her here." She said as she picked up the diaper bag from the floor, handing it to her. Sharon watched until the two disappeared behind the closed door and then turned around, seeing Provenza stare at her but ignored him as she smoothed out her skirt before heading down to interview the witness.

Sharon opened up the door slowly, her eyes falling upon the male who was sitting across from Lieutenant Flynn. He was the spitting image of the Mayor, and Sharon was still somewhat shocked.

"Mr. Neal, this is Captain Sharon Raydor. She has a few questions she would like to ask you." Flynn spoke, standing and pulling out the empty chair for the woman and then sliding it under as the brunette sat down.

"Hello," Sharon smiled as she tilted her head to the side and placed her hands in her lap. "Thank you for waiting so patiently, I know this is not the ideal place to spend your evening."

"Nah, it's cool, whatever I can do to help." Logan spoke as he sat back in the chair and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Mr. Neal, I have been informed that you would like protection because you think you are next on the murderer's list. I was wondering if there was a reason for that. Did the person see you? Have you done something to upset this person?" She asked crossing one leg over the other as she studied the boy's face.

"No, I've always kept my distance from him. It's like he has a grudge or something, ya know? Back when I used to deal, he was always trying to steal my clients. I confronted him about it and there was a fight but I haven't seen him since." Logan glanced back and forth between the cops.

"Back when you used to deal? Logan, can you explain why we found a dimebag of cocaine in your wallet?" Andy Flynn spoke as he narrowed his brows and leaned in closer, resting his elbows on the table.

"Look man, that was a one time thing. I have been clean for a long time now, look if I help you can you look past this one?"

"Depends on just how helpful you are," Sharon spoke, "How well did you know the deceased?"

"Tony was my snitch, or whatever you call it. He was a good friend of mine and he didn't like Kevin either, but he offered to help me keep tabs on him. You know, make sure he was not selling in our territory." Logan sighed, looking down at the table. "He would buy from him occasionally and then report back to me with the location. I don't know... I guess... I guess Kevin found out about it and that's why he killed him."

"So Kevin found out his man was a traitor." Andy spoke as he wrote down some quick notes in his notepad.

Logan nodded before looking up at the man, "Nobody likes a snitch."

"Kevin who?" Sharon asked, folding her arms across her chest. "I need a last name, Mr. Neal." A silence fell over the room as the man thought about what he was going to say. Sharon sighed and leaned forward a little, "Logan, I know you're scared of this man, but I am not going to be able to do anything to protect you until I have his last name.

"Kevin Jones. He did it. He killed Tony with his glock." Logan said putting his head into his hands.

Sharon placed his hands flat on the table before pushing herself up out of the chair and smiled a little, "Thank you, Mr. Neal. We will see what we can do. Until then, you will need to go with the officer." Turning on her heel, she walked to the door and opened it before stopping. "Oh, and your father is on his way down here." She said before walking out into the hallway and turned around waiting for Andy to join her.

Shutting the door behind him, he closed his notepad before shoving it in his pants pocket. "Well, that was interesting." He said shaking his head as they moved down the hallway.

"Motives are getting more idiotic by each passing day." Sharon spoke, running fingers through her hair, shaking it out a bit.

"Captain Raydor." A voice from the other end of the hallway echoed out. Sharon stopped dead in her tracks and turned around slowly seeing the Mayor. "Mayor Neal, so lovely to see you again."

Lieutenant Provenza got up from his desk and stormed over to the Captain's office, the baby had been crying ever since Amy had been placed in charge and nothing seemed to be working. "I can't take this anymore." He said as he opened up the door and walked over, "Move out of the way. You don't know what you are doing." Lifting the baby from the carrier, he began to rock her gently in his arms, sitting down in the chair behind the desk. "Yes, she's not very good is she?" He asked in a soft voice as he looked over at the woman standing next to him. Amy rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest and watched quietly. After a few minutes, the crying began to cease and Provenza smiled a little. "Don't you worry, Uncle Louie's got you."

"I'd like to see my son, please." The Mayor said as he looked around the hall in search for the room they were keeping him in.

Sharon nodded her head and folded her hands together, "He is about to be on his way to processing for possession, but you can speak with him. He is in that room." She said pointing to the door a few feet back and stepped out of the way.

"I'll get an APB out on Kevin Jones." Andy said once the Mayor had disappeared into the room and smiled a little towards Sharon before heading to his desk.

Sharon returned the smile before letting out a sigh and walked back towards her office, praying that everything had gone smoothly with Sykes and Addison. Opening up the door to her office, she stopped in her tracks as she saw Provenza holding her granddaughter and then looked at the other woman who shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. The brunette smirked a little as she walked in slowly and closed the door behind her, leaning against it. "Has she been okay?" Sharon asked, tilting her head to the side and pushing her glasses up her nose.

Provenza didn't even seem to notice Sharon enter the room until she spoke, "Well Sykes here does not know the first thing about calming a baby down, so I had to step in." He spoke as he stood from the chair and placed the baby carefully back down in the carrier. "I've had practice with my grandkids." He said covering Addison back up with the blanket and shrugged his shoulders. "Mayor here?"

Sharon smiled, nodding to him, "Just arrived. He wanted to speak to his son." Moving around her desk, she touched Amy's arm and smiled, "Thank you." She spoke softly before turning around to Provenza who was already heading towards the door. "Thank you as well!" She called out.

"Yeah, yeah." He replied, throwing his hand up as he returned to his desk.

Sitting down, she watched Amy shut the office door behind her and then smiled to the infant who was staring at her. "Hi, princess." She spoke as her let her fingernail gently tickle the tiny foot that was covered in a pink onesie. Sharon laughed a little to herself, shocked at the fact Provenza had took it upon himself to tend to the child. Moving the carrier to the side of her desk a little, she turned on her computer and began to go through the tons of paperwork she had been putting off for at least a week and sighed to herself. "Your Nana is going to die here." She said mumbling as she tossed her hair back over her shoulder and picked up her favorite pen.

Over a course of the next couple of hours, Sharon had managed to respond to the important emails in her inbox and finish the entire stack of paperwork that had been piling on her desk. Addison had been asleep for the most part and there only had to be one changing and an attempt at a feeding throughout that time period. Addison wouldn't eat, so Sharon decided she would try again in a little while. They had yet to hear anything back on the APB placed out for Kevin Jones and she highly doubted it would be a quick find. Addison began to cry and Sharon frowned, placing her pen down and picking the infant up out of the carrier and holding her close against her chest.

"Shh, it's okay." She said softly as she ran her fingers through the little amount of hair on the girl's head and pressed her lips against her temple. Sharon quickly pulled back and widened her eyes, "Oh darling, you're burning up." She whispered as she pressed the back of her palm gently up against the baby's skin and gasped. Taking the blanket off of her, she placed it in the carrier before looking down at her feet and digging through the diaper bag. Pulling out a digital ear thermometer, she turned it on and quickly placed it in the small ear, waiting impatiently for the number on the screen. It read 99.9 and Sharon teared up a bit. "Okay, sugar." She said standing to her feet and bouncing her up and down as she opened up her door and looked around.  
"Lieutenant Flynn, can you come here? Now?" She asked in a worried tone of voice and rubbed the little girl's back up and down.

Andy quickly jumped up and walked over looking at the baby who was still crying and back at Sharon who was beginning to do so. "What's wrong?"

"I- I have to take her to the ER, she almost has a 100 degree fever." She spoke quietly as she turned back around and quickly went back to her desk, placing Addison in carrier and buckling her up. Grabbing her purse, she strapped it on her shoulder as she grabbed the handle and began looking around to see if she was forgetting anything.

"Come on, I'll take you." He spoke as he placed a hand in the middle of her back and escorted her out. Looking at Provenza, he pointed, "You're in charge for now." He said as they made their way down to the elevators.

Tears escaped her eyes and fell slowly down her cheeks as she swayed the carrier a little bit, trying to get the little girl's crying to cease. Sharon was scared to death, her daughter and son-in-law were both out of state. She was all Addison had and she could not let anything happen to her. She couldn't.


	4. Chapter 4

Quickly walking out of the elevator, Sharon followed Lieutenant Andy Flynn to his vehicle and strapped the carrier in, before sliding beside the baby in the back seat. The cries had yet to cease, and the brunette was beginning to panic, "Hurry, Andy.." She said quietly as she ran her fingers through the small amount of curly hair on top of Addison's head. "Shh.. it's okay..." She whispered to the baby, as tears continued to fall from her own eyes.

"We will be there in no time, Captain. Just hang on." He spoke as he turned on his siren and quickly pulled out of his parking spot, exiting out the garage and heading towards the hospital. There were definitely advantages when working for the Police Department. Pulling up in front of the building, Andy turned off the car and practically jumped out, running inside and finding the nearest nurse. Sharon unbuckled the carrier and followed in behind her coworker, looking around to see which way he went. With her heels clicking against the floor, she quickly came up behind Andy and handed the carrier to the first nurse who was available.

"She has a high fever, she has hardly eaten all day.." Sharon began to spit out every piece of information she could possibly think of to give them, "She's four months old." She added, placing a hand on Andy's arm as a few more nurses ran up to see what was going on.

"It'll be okay, Sharon." He mumbled as he rubbed her back a bit and then grabbed the clipboard from nurse.

"We are going to go take a look at her, and we will be right back. Alright, Mrs. Raydor?" The blonde nurse stated as she took the personal items out, handing them to Sharon.

Sharon only nodded, her eyes glued to the little girl in the carrier. Clutching the blanket and the small stuffed animal close to her chest, she watched until they were completely out of sight before she let out the breath she had been holding.

"C'mon.." Andy said tugging her arm lightly as he escorted her over to an empty chair in the waiting room area.

As she sat down, Sharon looked over all the blanks on the form and ran her fingers through her dark red locks. Suddenly, she gasped and jumped in her chair. "Oh God, I have not called Claire." She announced, digging around in her purse for her cell phone. Once she found it, she quickly tapped until she found her daughter's name and hit dial. She tapped her foot impatiently against the floor, as the phone continued to ring, "Come on.." She whispered, groaning in frustration when she did not get an answer.

"Hi, Sweetheart. Uhm, Addie broke into a fever. We are at the hospital now. They should be coming back any second to let me know more information about what exactly is going on. Call me back when you get this." She hung from that call and then proceeded to perform the same action with her son-in-law, who unfortunately didn't answer either.

"What is the use of having a cell phone if you are not going to answer it?" She asked, pinching the top of her nose as she placed the phone in her lap and pulled out a pen from her purse.

"Everything is going to be alright, Sharon." Andy repeated his earlier words of encouragement, sitting back in the chair, observing the woman he had not had a good relationship with closely.

The woman smiled a little, trying to get that through her head as she began to fill in all the necessary information on the form attached to the clipboard. Once she had finished, she stood up and handed the information to one of the secretaries at the front desk and asked if there was any news. Of course, nothing.

Sharon nodded as she walked back over to Andy and sat down, leaning her head back until it rested on the wall and closed her eyes tightly. "You know, I never thought I would be a mother.. let alone grandma. I didn't want kids for the longest time. I just didn't see the appeal." Her voice was soft, quiet, emotional. "You change a lot as a person though after having them..." She continued, looking over at the man sitting next to her, knowing he could relate, because he had children as well. "I always wanted to be a good mother. I didn't care if my children liked me. I just wanted what was best for them. I made so many rules, and it literally drove both my daughter and son away from me." The redhead looked down at her hands that were shaking a bit, clasping them together in her lap with a small sigh. "The first time I actually saw Claire after graduation was after she got engaged, and my son.. well, he calls and comes when he needs something." Her shoulders shrugged a little, "I don't think they dislike me. That's what I am not trying to say at all, but most of the time they are with their father. And I don't blame them, the separation was hard on them." Taking in a deep breath, she let a long sigh draw out before beginning to speak again. "So here I am, over sixty years old, playing mother again with Rusty, and now my granddaughter, because my daughter and son-in-law both have two very demanding jobs, and I am completely freaking out. I have only had her in my care for a couple of hours, and Addison is already in the hospital! I don't want to ruin them. I don't want my children thinking I'm unfit and keeping their own children away from me."

Andy shook his head back and forth, "No certain kind of parenting is the right way, Sharon. We are human beings. We all have flaws. Both of your children got into great schools, because you made them work hard. They are both successful and have a bright future ahead of them." He turned his body in the chair to face the woman more, "I didn't want to be a father. Sometimes I still wonder if I made the right decision. Now, don't get me wrong. I love my children. They are my world, but I just don't and didn't think I had what it takes either." Reaching over across the armrest, he placed his hand on top of hers and squeezed lightly. "Your children are lucky to have a mother that cares for much about them. Rusty has become a better person because of you. You can't help the fact that your granddaughter got sick. Who do you think you are? God?" Andy scoffed, "You did what every good parent or grandmother did. You got help."

Sharon smiled a little and nodded, "Thank you, Andy." Her words barely above a whisper. An hour passed by and the two had yet to have a full conversation, their hands still holding onto each others.

"Ms. Raydor?" The nurse asked as she walked out of the double doors, looking around the waiting area.

Sharon jumped to her feet and waved her hand, "That's me. How is she?" She asked quickly.

"She is going to be just fine. It looks like there is an infection in her right ear, that's all." She smiled as she flipped through the charts, "You've listed that she had a cold?"

"Yes, she actually just got over it." Sharon said, running her fingers through her hair once more.

"Common colds usually lead to ear infections. It's nothing serious at all. We are going to drain her ear and give you some droplets and ibuprofen. It should clear up in about a week. Just make sure to schedule a follow up appointment with her pediatrician. The fever has since gone down, so we are free to release her to you, but you will have to keep an eye on her through the night. Check her temperature every thirty minutes for the next three hours, and then every two." She said as she continued to look over the charts. "The fever is the only thing the doctor is worried about at the moment."

"I can take her home?" Sharon asked after listening carefully to the instructions.

"Yes, ma'am. Just feed her like normal, smaller portions. Make sure she can keep it down, because the fever has probably made her nauseous. Other than that, just keep a fan on so she can cool down." The nurse smiled and gave Sharon a pen to sign a line on the paper.

Sharon smiled and autographed the paper before handing the pen back, "Thank you. Thank you so much." She said as tears of relief filled her eyes.

"A nurse will be out in a little bit with her, and you can go to the discharge desk." She said, pointing in the direction Sharon would have to go and turned around, disappearing back through the double doors.

Sharon walked back over to the seats and looked at Andy, "She's going to be fine. She just has an ear infection." She said, smiling in relief and wiping her eyes as tears continued to fall.

"Great news!" Andy said, smiling, "See, I told you everything would be fine."

Sharon laughed and smiled as she tried to calm herself down, her eyes glued to the door, waiting impatiently for her granddaughter.

The next thirty minutes seemed to take forever, but out of the corner of her eye she saw a nurse come out of the double doors holding a baby dressed in pink and knew it was Addison. Jumping to her feet, she quickly made her way over to the pair, smiling through happy tears that escaped her eyes as she took the baby into her arms.

"Hello, Princess!" She whispered, peppering kisses to her face and nuzzling her close. "I'm so happy you are okay." She said quietly, as she took the blanket from the nurse and turned around to look at Andy who was grabbing the rest of her belongings over next to the chairs in the waiting area. Smiling to herself, Sharon went over to the discharge desk and signed all of the release forms. After the nurse filed them away, she informed the woman that she was finally able to leave. Turning to Andy, she cradled the little girl close to her body as she walked to the door, next to the man's side. "Thank you for helping me, Andy. I owe you one."

"It's my pleasure, Sharon." He said holding the door open for the woman as she stepped out and headed back towards the car. Opening up the door, he helped strap in the carrier in the back and then got in the driver's seat to start up the car. Once Sharon was in herself, she placed the stuffed animal in her tiny hands and then covered her with a blanket, tucking her in and resting back in the seat. Pulling out her cell phone, she called her daughter back, who was still not answering her phone, and left a detailed message to report that everything was alright. Then she once again repeated the same process for her son-in-law.


End file.
